First restoration works begin on former Prudential Building
Reporter: Charlotte Hall, Local Democracy Reporter
Date published: 23 June 2025
The first restoration works have begun on the Prudential Building in Oldham town centre. Image courtesy of Oldham Council
Workers have taken the first steps in transforming a grand old ‘eyesore’ in the middle of Oldham town centre.
Contractors removed two decades worth of trees and shrubbery that were taking over the Grade-II Grade-II listed Prudential Assurance Building on Union Street.
The 135-year-old building has been gradually falling into dereliction ever since its previous owners vacated in the early 2000s.
But last year, the council took ownership of the building through a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in a bid to ‘rescue’ the historic site from condemnation.
Now it’s working on restoring the site, which is in a desolate condition.
Before and after photos posted on the council’s Facebook page reveal the ‘beautiful building’ hidden underneath years of vegetation growth.
With many local residents hailing the move as a ‘good start’ for the town, the pictures have prompted plenty of speculation about the building’s future.
“This would be perfect for an Oldham version of Affleck’s Palace,” Danny Mulligan suggested on Facebook, referring to the indie shopping emporium in the Northern Quarter.
Others guessed the building might be turned into a restaurant and apartment building, while one Oldham mum pleaded it be turned into ‘something fun for young people’.
The majority of Oldham residents welcomed the ‘long overdue’ prune around the iconic building.
But some joked the trees should have stayed – with Melissa Harrington quipping the council ‘could have made a fortune hiring it out for zombie or apocalypse movies or music videos’.
However, plans now seem set to bring the building back into use as an office and workspace.
The Prudential Assurance site was first tipped to become a business hub and co-working space under plans approved by town planners in 2023.
But with the council’s new ‘start-up hub’ now located in the Spindles shopping centre, it now seems likely some of the finer details of the project may change.
The original plans were set to cost around £8.4m.
Some of the preliminary works will be covered by a £400,000 fund from Historic England, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Oldham Council, which pledged to help rescue four of Oldham’s ‘irreplaceable’ historic assets.
Alongside the Prudential, these include the Lyceum theatre, the Old Post Office and the Masonic Hall on Union Street and the Old Museum and Friend’s Meeting House on Greaves Street.
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